Immigrating and getting a job: What you should know

On behalf of Law Offices of Jan Joseph Bejar, A P.L.C. posted in blog on Monday, April 23, 2018.

In the current state of America, there are reasons to be worried about coming here to work. As an immigrant, you don't want to be treated unfairly, and you know that certain changes in laws could make it harder for you to get to the United States to work and live.

The important thing to understand is that immigrants make up a large portion of the workforce. Many immigrants, both legal and undocumented, do the jobs Americans refuse to do or do not have enough training to do.

Debating immigration for work

Some people in America have concerns about the illegal immigration that takes place each day. While this is a concern to address, not every immigrant comes to the United States without documents. For immigrants looking to come to the United States legally, there are many things to do to guarantee finding a job and staying in the country. With job growth and competition, it's never been more important to bring new workers into the workforce.

How do you get a permit to work in the United States?

To work in the United States, you'll need a permit. Permits, also known as Employment Authorization Documents, give you the right to work when you arrive. Employers must verify that you have these documents if you intend to work in the country.

There are four categories of people who may work in the United States. They include citizens, non-citizen nationals, lawful permanent residents and aliens authorized to work. Broken down further, this list includes permanent immigrants, exchange students and visitors and non-immigrant workers. Not all people who want to come to the United States to work intend to stay, allowing them to opt for a temporary work visa. On the other hand, people who are exchange students or visitors may need Designated School Official or Responsible Officer documents to work. Permanent workers obtain the right to remain in the United States and to continue to work.

To get a permit, you need to apply for a work permit through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You may apply if you are a J-2 spouse, dependent of a foreign government official, a national under Temporary Protected Status, a foreign national applying for permanent residence, refugee, student, fiance or spouse of a citizen or an asylum seeker.

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